


The Devil of S.H.I.E.L.D

by JasonMorganfan87



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Agent Lucifer Morningstar, Betrayal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Guilty Chloe Decker, Protective Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Protective S.H.I.E.L.D
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24449083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasonMorganfan87/pseuds/JasonMorganfan87
Summary: Lucifer has been noted to be on Earth during WWII.  What if he came across S.H.I.E.L.D and shared the same goals as them?  Lucifer joined their cause and became an agent.  What happens many years later when Coulson comes to call him back?  Will he resume his position or does he prefer his life as it is?
Comments: 80
Kudos: 385





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place before season two of ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ and season four of ‘Lucifer’. For this story, ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’ takes place in same year as ‘Lucifer’ season 4.
> 
> As this story takes place before the second season of ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D’, Simmons has not yet gone undercover in HYDRA

Phil Coulson sat in his office in their new S.H.I.E.L.D base. Actually, he should say the secret new S.H.I.E.L.D base. No one new or could know that any part of S.H.I.E.L.D still existed. No one trusted any of them after HYDRA took it over.

Coulson sighed as he thought about how everything he knew had fallen apart so quickly. Everyone who had anything to do with S.H.I.E.L.D, and was still alive, had lost everything. Now, they were forced to rebuild, which was easier said than done. If HYDRA’s infiltration had done nothing else, it had proven to Coulson that trust was not something he could give out blindly. He trusted his current time. He knew none of them would ever betray him or S.H.I.E.L.D. However, they weren’t enough. He would have to bring in new members, which was where the trust issue reared its head. He refused to allow another Grant Ward to cripple his people. They barely survived his betrayal.

Coulson’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. “Come in.”

Jemma Simmons walked in a second later. She was carrying both a laptop and a file. “Sorry to interrupt sir, but I just came across something that might interest you.”

“It’s no problem, Simmons. What is it?”

Simmons put the computer on his desk facing herself. She opened it and typed for a second before turning it around to show Coulson. 

Coulson found himself watching a news clip from Los Angeles from about a month ago. It was about the LAPD bringing down a crime lord known as the Sinnerman, who also happened to be a police Lieutenant. The clip showed pictures of the two people who brought them down. A homicide detective and a civilian consultant. Coulson wasn’t sure why Simmons was showing him this, but he figured it had to have something to do with why the civilian consultant looked so familiar to him. “I recognize this guy.”

“As you should, sir. I recognized him right away. I think I would’ve even if I hadn’t been revealing old S.H.I.E.L.D files in an attempt to figure out how the HYDRA catastrophe could’ve happened,” Simmons said before placing a file on his desk labeled ‘Lucifer Morningstar’. 

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Less than three hours later, Coulson was putting on his suit jacket. His bags were next to him all packed. He was heading to LA as soon as possible.

There was a knock at the door. A second later, May stepped inside. “Phil, what’s this I’m hearing about you taking a trip.”

“Good, you’re here. I figured you’d want to come, so I figured I’d wait,” Coulson said with a smile. 

May looked less than amused. “I thought we agreed you couldn’t go out into the field.”

“We did, which is why I waited for you. Besides, this isn’t exactly field work. We won’t be facing any bad guys. It’s a recon mission, and hopefully a recruitment one. Well, actually, I think re-recruitment is more accurate,” Coulson said before putting a picture of Lucifer Morningstar on the desk in front of her. He’d found a recent picture online, as well as a ton of information on him. Well, if a ton meant nine years. That’s how current intel went back. 

May frowned. “He looks familiar.”

Coulson nodded. “The academy was good at shoving history down our throats. It makes it hard to forget totally. Plus, his picture was at the Hub. His name is Lucifer Morningstar.” He said as he slid the file over.

May looked surprised as she picked up the file. “I know I know that name. It’s almost as famous as Peggy Carter and Howard Stark. He was one of us.”

“More specifically, he was one of the first of us. In fact, aside from Peggy Carter, I think he was the very first S.H.I.E.L.D agent.” Coulson said with a large smile. History like this always got him excited. In fact, he didn’t think he’d been this excited since meeting Steve Rogers. 

“He was legendary. He was instrumental in bringing down HYDRA with the SSR before S.H.I.E.L.D began,” May said before opening the file. A picture of Lucifer Morningstar was on the first page. She compared it to the more modern one. Obviously the black and white photo made it difficult, but from what she was looking at, the two were pretty much the same. The two men didn’t just look similar. They looked exactly the same. If they weren’t the same person, they looked like they had to be identical twins. Obviously, that was impossible. “Coulson, are you saying you think Agent Morningstar is alive? Even if he was, he’d be at least in his nineties?”

“Look at the pictures, May. Even if this man was Morningstar’s grandson, there would be some distinguishing characteristics. There aren’t. You know, I heard Agent Morningstar always claimed to be the Devil,” Coulson said.

May gave him a skeptical look. “Yes, she’d heard that story at the academy too. She laughed it off just like everyone else. If the Devil existed, she was pretty sure he wouldn’t have become a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. “You buy that.”

“I think it’s more likely that he’s gifted,” Coulson said. He couldn’t pretend to know all that was out there or how the universe came to be, but he found it more likely that Morningstar was gifted than that he was the son of God and the ruler of Hell. 

Again, May was skeptical. “With eternal youth?”

“I’m going to find out. If he is Agent Morningstar, we could use him. He could help us rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D and stop HYDRA. He’s done it before. If he’s just a descendent, maybe he can still be recruited. Either way, it’s worth making a trip to talk to him,” Coulson said. 

May was still very skeptical about this whole thing. She’d seen a lot, but this was something even she had a hard time believing. But they didn’t have much to lose. Worse case scenario, this guy thought they were crazy, and they just came back. “Alright. Give me twenty minutes to pack a bag.

Coulson smiled and let her go. Hopefully when they returned, they’d have a new ally to help rebuild what they’d lost.


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe Decker made her way over to her desk. When she got close, she noticed her partner, Lucifer Morningstar, waiting leaned against her desk. She shuddered when she saw him, both out of fear and guilt. It had been just over a month since she saw his real face and realized he really was the Devil. It terrified her. Her trip to Rome didn’t make her feel any better either.

Of course, that was also where the guilt came from. It was the trip to Rome that led her to conspiring to betray Lucifer and send him back to Hell. She felt really guilty over that, especially since their partnership resumed and she remembered old times with Lucifer. But she had to remember all that Father Kinley had told and showed her. Lucifer didn’t belong here. Terrible things happened when he was around. The pictures she’d seen of him during World War II should be proof of that. She was doing the right thing.

Chloe plastered a smile on her face and walked towards Lucifer. “Hey. I didn’t expect you today. We don’t have a case.”

“Well, I can still keep you company. I’ve brought you coffee,” Lucifer said as he held up a cup.

“Thanks,” Chloe said as she took the offered cup. “You really don’t have to be here. I’m only doing paperwork, which I know you hate.

“Yes, I loathe it, but I could make an exception. No paperwork was actually one of the perks of not actually carrying a badge. He wasn’t a paid employee of the LAPD, so he didn’t have to worry about it. He shuddered to remember the times when he did have to worry about it. But, as he said, he didn’t mind making an exception for the detective now and then.

Chloe’s guilt began to creep up as she was faced with Lucifer’s sweetness, but she reminded herself that he was probably just manipulating her. 

Just then, Dan began walking by. He glared at Lucifer. “What are you doing here? We don’t have any open homicides.”

“I don’t need your permission to be here, Detective Douche,” Lucifer said as he returned his glare.

“We have work to do. We don’t need you…” Dan trailed off as he noticed two people behind Lucifer and Chloe. One was a man in a suit and another was a woman dressed in black. “Oh, man. The feds are here.”

Chloe turned to see what her ex was seeing. “What are they doing here? We don’t have any federal cases.”

“What makes you think they’re even federal. They aren’t showing badges,” Lucifer said.

“Let’s just say they have a vibe about them. Cops can tell when the feds are around,” Chloe said.

“I highly doubt that, Detective,” Lucifer said with a knowing smile.

Dan took a deep breath and approached the two federal agents. “Hi. Detective Daniel Espinoza. Can I help you?” 

“Phil Coulson, and this is Melinda May. I’m afraid you can’t help us, but he can,” Coulson said as he pointed to the LAPD’s civilian consultant standing several feet away. 

“The resemblance is even more uncanny in person,” May whispered to Coulson.

Coulson nodded and led the way over. “Hello. Lucifer Morningstar?”

“What did you do?” Chloe asked Lucifer. He’d attracted the feds. It took serious things to attract the feds. 

“Nothing, Detective,” Lucifer assured her. 

Dan rushed over. “Sir, I don’t know what Mr. Morningstar has done, but I want you to know that his involvement with the department is minimal. We just use him to consult occasionally.

Coulson was immediately put off by Detective Espinoza. First of all, he’d just thrown one of his own to the wolves. He hoped the man wasn’t in charge because you just didn’t do that to your people. Second, he downplayed all the good Morningstar had done. He was an amazing agent, and from what Coulson had learned, he was just as good with his work with the LAPD. He’d helped stop a crime boss who was also a cop. That was no easy task. “I wouldn’t say that. Didn’t he play a large role in taking down a crime lord that worked here?”

Lucifer smiled at the man. “Yes, thank you.”

“Yeah, you were just wonderful,” Dan whispered sarcastically.

“Wait, you’re not here because Lucifer broke some kind of law?” Chloe asked surprised.

“No, of course not. From what I know, Agent Morningstar’s record has been nothing but exemplary,” Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn’t have mentioned Morningstar’s status, given that he was an agent in the 1950s, but these people obviously underestimated the man’s worth, and Coulson didn’t like that. Besides, local police would never be able to get their hands on S.H.I.E.L.D’s records, even if there were more copies outside of the ones Coulson and his team had, which he was pretty sure there weren’t.

“Bloody hell, Lucifer whispered. He knew who they were now. These two were not just federal agents. They were S.H.I.E.L.D. He was shocked they managed to find him through. Well, not that they found him exactly, but that they connected him to who he had been fifty years ago. Most would assume he was a look alike or a descendent. Of course, S.H.I.E.L.D had always been extraordinary. That was what drew him to it.

“What? No, you’ve got the wrong guy. He’s not an agent. He’s not even a cop,” Dan said with a laugh. The idea that Lucifer was at all law enforcement was completely ridiculous.

“Lucifer?” Chloe asked in shock.

Lucifer’s eyes were on the man in front of him. “What do you want?”

“First let me introduce us. Phil Coulson and Melinda May. It’s an honor to meet you. Can we talk privately?” Coulson asked.

“Hold on. You guys don’t just get to come in here and demand to talk to one of our people after announcing he’s one of yours. We deserve an explanation,” Dan said angrily.

“I thought you said he wasn’t one of yours,” May said.

“Sorry, but what we have to discuss is classified,” Coulson said before turning back to Morningstar. “Can we speak elsewhere?” 

Lucifer nodded and led them away.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Lucifer found an empty interrogation room. He looked the door and turned off the sound system. Agent Coulson was right about one thing. Anything S.H.I.E.L.D related was meant to be kept quiet. “My question still stands. What do you want from me.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Agent Morningstar. You were the one of the first and best agents S.H.I.E.L.D ever had,” Coulson said with an excited grin. It wasn’t everyday he got to meet one of the first agents in his agency. In fact, since it was founded sixty years earlier, it was a first.

“What exactly leads you to believe I am an agent?” Lucifer asked. 

“Oh, I’ve read your file. Your picture is the same as the one the media used after the Sinnerman case hit. It doesn’t surprise me you had a hand in that case. You worked beside Agent Peggy Carter in the 1950s,” Coulson said.

Lucifer suppressed a flinch at that name. He was close to Peggy Carter. Not as close as he was to the detective, but she was a good friend for a long time. “You jump to the conclusion that I’m an agent from sixty years ago based on a picture. Most would consider it a coincidence.”

“But it’s not, is it? You are Agent Lucifer Morningstar of S.H.I.E.L.D,” May said. She was certain Coulson was right now. She’d seen how Morningstar reacted when Coulson revealed his status. He was surprised, but not confused, and he didn’t deny it.

“No, Darling, I’m not. I stopped being that decades ago,” Lucifer said.

“You’ll always be one of us. New agents have been learning your history for decades. You’ve always been a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. We would like you to come back,” Coulson said.

Lucifer snorted in response. He wasn’t surprised. He’d deduced that was what they wanted since they made it known to him who they were. He wasn’t interested though. “No thank you. S.H.I.E.L.D has plenty of agents.”

“Not anymore,” May said.

“S.H.I.E.L.D was disbanded. It was infiltrated by HYDRA,” Coulson added.

Lucifer’s eyes flashed red for a split second, though not long enough to be noticed. He’d always taken great offense to HYDRA. He’d been cast into Hell because of his desire for Free Will. Needless to say, he loathed an organization that tried to impede on the world’s Free Will. “What did you people do? W put an end to HYDRA!”

Coulson shook his head sadly. “No. You crippled it, but they still existed. Unfortunately, many existed within S.H.I.E.L.D, probably even while you were there. They waited for their opportunity to strike.”

It was taking all of Lucifer’s willpower not to let his devil face out with how much rage he felt. He’d left S.H.I.E.LD because of certain imperfections he couldn’t get past, but it was still important to him. He believed it what it was trying to do. He was a part of that. It angered him that that was all twisted by HYDRA. 

“We need your help. We’re trying to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D and stop HYDRA, but our numbers are small and we have no backing. We could use your help. Now, I don’t expect you to answer now. I know it’s a lot to ask. You’ve moved on,” Coulson said before removing a card from his pocket and holding it out. “I hope you’ll use this.”

Lucifer took the card.

“Once again, it was an honor to meet you. I hope this will be the first of many meetings,” Coulson said before he and may headed out of the room

Once they were gone, Lucifer sat down and sighed. “Bloody hell.”


	3. Chapter 3

Lucifer across from Linda for his session. Boy, did he need a session today. S.H.I.E.L.D agents showing up at the precinct to get him to return was not what he was expecting, nor was it what he wanted. He'd finished with that part of his life sixty years ago. He liked the way his life was now. That wasn't to say he regretted his time with S.H.I.E.L.D. He had done a lot of good with them. He simply disagreed with some of the ways they operated, which was why he chose to leave. That, and he was sure that if he'd stayed much longer, Amenadiel would've shown up to force him back to Hell.

"Lucifer, are you okay? You seem really stressed," Linda said.

Lucifer could only snort in response.

"Did something happen between you and Chloe?" Linda asked. Most of the time she saw Lucifer in this state, it had something to do with Chloe. She was very important to him.

"No, it has nothing to do with her. I'm being asked to return to my former profession," Lucifer said.

"You… you mean Hell?" Linda asked surprised.

"Oh, no. Sorry, Doctor, I suppose I should've been more specific. As I'm sure you know, Coming to Earth several years ago was not my first trip. I've come several times. The most notable was towards the end of World War II. I became involved with the federal government. I became a part of it," Lucifer explained.

Linda's mouth hung open in disbelief. "You were a federal agent?"

Lucifer nodded. "From here on out, I must ask that you never breathe a word of what I tell you. The agency I was a part of was incredibly secretive, for very good reason."

"Of course. You know that anything you say in this room is confidential. How did you get involved with the feds?" Linda asked.

"Well, as I said, I arrived during World War II. I was curious about how humans were dealing with the war. There had, of course, been wars in the past, but I never witnessed any of them. By that point, I'd already seen a great number of new arrivals in Hell do to it, many of which needed special attention. Most souls punish themselves, but these men were particularly brutal," Lucifer said.

"I assume you're talking about Nazis," Linda said. It was strange hearing about an account of World War II from Lucifer, who had met those monsters in Hell.

"Yes. Anyway, I decided to come to Earth. I didn't expect to stay long. I figured I'd return to Hell within a few days. Amenadiel would come after me otherwise. Neither of those things actually happened though. In fact, I found myself actively involved in what was happening. I came across a group of Nazis whose goal wasn't just winning the war. Their goal was world domination." Lucifer said.

Linda looked horrified. "You're kidding."

"Afraid not, Doctor. They called themselves HYDRA. They planned to eliminate Free Will. They wanted to turn the world into a dictatorship," Lucifer said.

Linda now knew why Lucifer would involve himself in the situation. He would not stand by while the Free Will of humans was taken away. He was passionate about people making their own choices.

"As I'm sure you can figure out. I was never going to allow that. I began taking them down one by one. I didn't kill them, of course, but I did render them incapable of continuing their mission. While doing so, I met a woman that would later become my partner," Lucifer said.

_Flashback_

_Lucifer walked through the front door into a HYDRA base. He was immediately shot at by two guards. Obviously, they did nothing to him. "Now, that was uncalled for, don't you think. I liked this shirt."_

_Lucifer grabbed one guard by the arm as he went to shoot at him again. He twisted it until he heard it snap. He then landed a strong punch to the man's face, knocking him out instantly. He then went to the other guard and kicked him in the groin, causing him to drop to the ground. Lucifer wasn't done with him though. He pulled him up and kicked him several times in the stomach knocking him out with a punch as well._

_Seconds later, five more men approached carrying guns._

" _Hello, gentlemen. I've come to inform you that I take offense to your little organization," Lucifer said. He followed up the statement by attacking them. They all fired shots at him, but when he was done, they were all passed out on the ground._

" _Who are you?" A voice asked from behind him._

_Lucifer turned to see a woman with a gun pointed at him. Several men were behind her with guns as well. He smiled at the woman. He was fairly certain that she and her comrades were not part of this abominable organization. "Hello there, my dear. Well, if you were here to fight these creatures, I'm afraid you're late to the party, but allow me to make it up to you. I'd be glad to buy you a drink."_

_The woman looked a bit flustered, but she got it together pretty quickly. "I am Agent Carter with the SSR. I demand you tell me who you are and what you are doing here."_

_Flashback_

Lucifer couldn't deny that he missed Peggy Carter. She'd become a close friend. Back then, there weren't many humans he had respect for, but she was one of them. They just disagreed on what was and wasn't the best way to run S.H.I.E.L.D. That was why he'd had to leave.

"So, you were worked for an organization called the SSR?" Linda asked.

"No. The SSR didn't last much longer. I was not officially apart of that group, but I did continue to cross paths with Agent Carter and the SSR at times when they raided HYDRA bases. Carter didn't trust me at first, but she came to appreciate my efforts," Lucifer said.

"Like Chloe," Linda said.

"Yes, there are certainly similarities, but the relationship I had with Carter was hardly the same as the one with the detective.. Anyway, after a while, the SSR disbanded and a similar organization called S.H.I.E.L.D took its place. That is the agency I was a part of. Carter asked me to join when she and others began forming it. I agreed. It was important to me that organizations like HYDRA were stopped," Lucifer told her.

"I assume you stayed until you were sent back to Hell," she said.

"Actually, I left on my own. I agreed with what S.H.I.E.L.D was trying to do, but there were aspects I didn't agree with. I still don't," Lucifer said.

"And that's why you don't want to go back. You don't have to, Lucifer. Just tell these agents no," Linda said.

"Oh, I wish it were that simple. It appears that HYDRA wasn't as destroyed as I thought it was. They have torn apart everything S.H.I.E.L.D was. If I do nothing, HYDRA will likely continue on the path of trying to control humanity. By choosing to stay away, I may just take away everyone else's choices in the future. I have little choice," Lucifer said. As much as he didn't want to leave LA and the detective. He couldn't see another option. He could not let HYDRA have control of the world.

Linda didn't know what to say to that. His words had a significant impact, one that created a lot of fear in her. She did not want to think about a world that Lucifer was describing. As much as she wished otherwise, she couldn't just tell Lucifer he could say no any longer.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Chloe walked into the Catholic Church where Father Kinley was currently staying. She found him in the Chapel.

"Ah, Chloe, how wonderful to see you? Is everything alright? I didn't expect to hear from you until you were ready to execute our plan," Father Kinley said.

"I wanted to talk to you about that. I've found some new information. Two federal agents came to see Lucifer today," Chloe said.

"Really? Well, I assume this is all the proof you need. The Devil has attracted the federal government with his atrocities," Father Kinley said.

"No. They came to see him because he's one of them, or at least he was. They called him 'Agent'," Chloe said. She'd been flabbergasted when that happened. She tried to ask Lucifer about it after the two agents left, but he blew her off and left moments later.

"What? Impossible. I did extensive research on the Devil. He was never with law enforcement before working with your department," Kinley said.

"Some government agencies are classified to the point that few know they even exist, and the agents today were very secretive, so, it's possible he was a part of such an agency," Chloe told him.

"This is very troubling. If the Devil has his hands in such an agency, who knows the damage he could and probably has already done," Kinley said.

"Couldn't this mean that you're wrong. He was a fed. He could've been doing good, like he has been for the department," Chloe said.

"It's more likely that he is manipulating the government. We've discussed how good he is at it. I assure you, the Devil is up to no good here. Why else would he involve himself with such a secretive part of the government. He wanted something from them. He has to be stopped before something worse happens," Kinley said.

"What if you're wrong?" Chloe asked.

"I'm not. The Devil belongs in Hell. You know that. You've seen the evidence. He has had his hand in terrible things. We must stop him before it gets worse. We cannot risk the world. You must understand that."

Chloe nodded after a minute. Father Kinley was right. It wasn't worth risking the world. And this might be the only chance they had if Lucifer went back to the feds. That seemed to be the reason they were there anyway. She couldn't think of any other reason. This was the right decision. God had wanted Lucifer in Hell. Surely he knew what was right. "Okay. I'll do it tomorrow night.


	4. Chapter 4

Coulson and May were parked outside of Lux, the nightclub Lucifer Morningstar owned and lived in. They'd been watching him most of the time for the last twenty-four hours. They had decided it was best to stick close to him. Coulson figured that if they could find Lucifer Morningstar and figure out that he was the same man that worked for S.H.I.E.L.D sixty years ago, so could HYDRA. Not that Morningstar would be helpless if they came after him. Coulson had seen his impressive file, but he decided it was best to be cautious.

"I don't like this. This place is two open. Too many people come and go. If HYDRA were to show up, there'd be no way to know it," May said.

"I know. I don't like it either, but hopefully we'll know if something happens and we can intervene. It's the best we can do. He's capable of fending off HYDRA for a while if the worst happens. I remember hearing that he took on ten HYDRA agents at once before even joining Shield," Coulson said with a grin.

May smirked. "Someone's a fan."

"Can you blame me. He's a legend. He's one of the best agents S.H.I.E.L.D has ever had," Coulson said.

"The question is how does he still look the same as he did sixty some odd years ago?" May asked.

"Well, if you believe what he says, he's the Devil?" Coulson joked. "Like I said, I think he's probably gifted. It actually explains why he left S.H.I.E.L.D. The index wasn't created until many years later, but it was first discussed around the time Morningstar left, and according to his file he was adamantly against it."

"Which makes me wonder, do you think he'll come back? He didn't seem too interested, and as you just mentioned, he had reasons for leaving SH.I.E.L.D," May pointed out.

"True, but did you see his face when we told him about HYDRA. He was livid. I think he'll come back for that reason alone. I'm sure he'll return, May," Coulson said.

"I hope you're right. It could go a long way to helping us rebuild S.H.I. . No one could help us more than the man who helped start it," May said. She then turned back to the nightclub and continued surveillance.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Lucifer was in the bedroom in his penthouse packing his things. He'd made his decision. In all honesty, he'd made it the second the name HYDRA was uttered. He didn't want to leave the life he'd built, but he would be damned if he allowed the people he cared about to suffer, and eventually they would with HYDRA out there. He had to stop them. He would stop them, even if it meant breaking his father's number one rule.

Lucifer soon heard the elevator ding, indicating that someone was there. He stopped what he was doing and walked out to the living room. He found the detective waiting. "Hello, Detective. I suspected that you'd show up at some point."

"You weren't at the station today," Chloe said.

"No, I had things to put in order. I'm afraid I won't be by to help with cases for quite a while. I'm going out of town for a while?" Lucifer told her.

"Does it have anything to do with those agents earlier. Are you really a federal agent?" Chloe asked. She'd yet to actually get a confirmation of that. Lucifer hadn't denied it before, but he hadn't admitted it either.

Lucifer nodded. "I used to be. I suppose I will be one again within days."

"You never told me. You've told me you're the Devil, but you've never mentioned being a federal agent," Chloe said. Honestly, learning that Lucifer worked for the federal government was probably just as surprising as learning he was the Devil.

"That was who I was before you were even alive, Detective. If you wouldn't believe I was the Devil, you certainly wouldn't believe I was a federal agent over half a century ago. Besides, there was no reason to mention it. I never expected to be drawn back into that," Lucifer said.

"You don't act like a fed. Most of the time, you don't listen to the rules of law enforcement. You barely seem to understand them," Chloe said. Of course, he could've been acting that way to trick her. That would certainly support Kinley's theory that the Devil was a master manipulator.

"Your rules are different than ours. Our cases are different, more critical. As such, we were given much leeway. Besides, I wasn't really a detective with the LAPD. I didn't have to follow the rules," Lucifer said with a smirk. Yes, being a consultant was much more fun than being an agent. Sure, he didn't get as much action, but he didn't have to follow all the rules and he didn't have to do paperwork. That was the best part.

"Agencies like the FBI still have to follow most of the same rules we do. What, were you CIA or something?" Chloe asked. She wasn't really sure why she wanted to know. It didn't matter with what she was about to do. Maybe she hoped he didn't have his hands in anything too big so she could avoid the inevitable. She also decided that if he was using a government for his own purposes, as Kinley suggested, she should try to figure out how deep it went.

"No, not the CIA. I'm afraid I can't tell you the name of it, nor what we did. It's imperative that information remain secret," Lucifer said. Yes, he'd told Linda some, but he'd done so in a confidential setting. Plus, he'd had to tell someone what was going through his mind.

"You don't trust me?" Chloe asked. It was a question she really had no business asking. He shouldn't trust her. But she wanted to know. She needed to know exactly what he'd done.

"No, it's not that. I trust you more than anyone, but I'm sure you know there are many parts of the government that have to remain secret. Plus, not telling you protects you. I have many enemies, and that list will only grow from here. It's best that you know as little as possible," Lucifer explained.

"If you think I might be in danger, isn't that all the more reason that I should know?" Chloe reasoned.

"No. You have no idea the methods they could use to extract what you know. And as I said, protocols dictate that I say nothing."

Chloe nodded. She knew she wasn't going to get him to tell her anything. "Do these people know the truth about you? I mean, you said you hadn't been an agent in sixty years. You'd be at least ninety at this point."

"Well, I never hide who I am. You know that, Detective. But, no, they probably don't believe that any more than you did. They're just used to seeing things others haven't. Actually, even you've seen things that are abnormal. The battle of New York has become very public knowledge," Lucifer said. He'd stayed completely out of that situation, but he knew S.H.I.E.L.D had a hand in stopping that.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Come on, Lucifer. That situation was exaggerated. I don't believe for one second that aliens attacked and superheroes that turned into green giants and ones that made high tech suits stopped it."

"Even now, you still don't believe it," Lucifer asked incredulously. He would've thought after seeing his Devil face that she'd be a little less skeptical.

"Not until I see real proof," Chloe said.

Lucifer sighed. "It doesn't really matter, I suppose. I was planning on leaving tomorrow or the day after. I will come back, Detective. I assure you of that."

"Great," Chloe said with fake happiness. She almost wanted to just let him go. He would be out of her life, so she didn't have to be afraid anymore, and that would keep her from having to do something she already felt guilty about. But he just swore he was going to come back one day. Plus, there was still the worry that whatever he was planning to do with the feds would be bad. They probably had good intentions, but she couldn't trust that Lucifer did. He was the Devil. He was said to be pure evil. As much as Chloe tried to convince herself otherwise, If Lucifer had ever agreed to work for the federal government, it was almost certain that his intentions were nefarious. She couldn't risk him doing damage to the world. She had to stop him. She had nothing to feel guilty about. She was protecting the world. That was what she kept telling herself anyway. "I understand that you have to go. I'm a cop. I get that you don't always like your assignments."

"Perhaps when I return, we can have dinner," Lucifer said.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Chloe said. He wouldn't be returning from anywhere after tonight, so she didn't have to worry about it.

"In the meantime, would you like to go downstairs for a drink?" he asked.

"Uh, well a drink sounds good, but can we do it here? Maybe we can order take out as well. A little preview for when you come back," Chloe suggested.

Lucifer smiled. "Excellent. I'll get the menus."

"I'll pour us both a drink," Chloe volunteered.

Lucifer nodded and headed out of the room.

Chloe went to the bar and poured two glasses of scotch. She took a sip of her own to calm her nerves. She then reached into her purse and pulled out the vial she'd gotten from Father Kinley. She hesitated before pouring the liquid into Lucifer's drink.

Lucifer came back a moment later with menus. He handed them to the detective. "You choose. I'm up for whatever you are."

Chloe took the menus and pretended to look them over. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Lucifer take a sip of his drink.

It was a minute, maybe two before Lucifer noticed something was wrong. His head began to get heavy, his vision started to blur, and his legs became wobbly. Seconds later, he fell to the floor. He tried to focus his eyes, and he managed to for a minute, long enough to get a look at the detective's face. She wasn't concerned, like he'd expect her to be. She didn't seem surprised by his state at all. That told him something, even in his current predicament. She did this to him.


	5. Chapter 5

Lucifer stared at the detective in disbelief. Well, he stared at her as much as he could anyway. Whatever she'd given him was making him lose focus. She betrayed him. She'd put something in his drink. It was all over her face. He could see that even in his current state. The only thing he didn't know was why. Was she HYDRA? He didn't want to believe it, but it was quite coincidence for her to be drugging him just after he made the decision to return to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Lucifer shook that thought away. She couldn't be HYDRA. The woman he'd come to love, in large part because of how good she was, could not work for an organization that would destroy humanity's Free Will. The woman followed all the rules. She believed in the law. She believed in the good in people. She was the opposite of HYDRA. But she had drugged him. "What… did you… give me?"

"I'm sorry. I had no choice," Chloe said before taking out her phone.

As Lucifer's mind became more and more unfocused, he realized that what Chloe did and why were irrelevant right now. He had to get out of there. Whatever was happening was not the end. There was more to come if he stuck around. Plus, he felt like the air in the penthouse was being sucked out. He needed to get out of there. Unfortunately, he doubted he could fly. He couldn't even stand. He doubted he'd even be able to make it more than two feet off the ground if he attempted to take flight. Instead, he started crawling towards the balcony. Actually, crawling was the wrong word. He couldn't even manage that much. It was more like he dragged himself there.

Lucifer barely made it a couple of inches out of the balcony before he could no longer go on. He passed out and taken to the past in his unconscious state, and to the partner that hadn't betrayed him.

_Dream_

_Lucifer was seated in a restaurant across from Peggy Carter. He'd received a call from the agent the day earlier asking to meet. Of course, he jumped at the chance. He'd never turned down the chance to flirt with a beautiful woman, and Peggy Carter certainly qualified._

" _Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Morningstar," Carter said._

" _Now, Darling, I believe we've talked about this. It's Lucifer. And I was delighted to meet with you, though I would've preferred a pub, or a bedroom," Lucifer smirked. He watched as the woman blushed. He knew she was attracted to him. Most were, but he admired her restraint, something most humans didn't have. At the same time, it was frustrating. He wasn't used to such restraint._

" _Keep dreaming, Mr. Morningstar. I called you here for official reasons," Carter told him._

_Lucifer sighed. "So boring ones."_

_Carter smiled. "Oh, no. This will be far from boring if you agree to my proposition."_

_Lucifer's eyes lit up. "Proposition? A deal?_

" _I wouldn't use that term. It's a job offer. I don't normally condone vigilante behavior, but you've been a great help in dismantling HYDRA. I was wondering if you'd like to continue that work in a more official capacity," Carter said._

_Lucifer frowned. "All HYDRA members have been found and dealt with according to you."_

" _They have, but I think it would be naïve to assume that they are the only ones out there with nefarious intentions. You aren't Naïve are you?" Carter asked with a smirk._

_Lucifer smirked back and motioned with his hand for her to go on._

" _Organizations and people like HYDRA will always exist. It stands to reason there should also be an organization there to oppose them, doesn't it?"_

" _Meaning the SSR? You want me to join the SSR?" Lucifer asked in disbelief._

" _No. In fact, the SSR is disbanding. In it's place will be a similar organization. It will be called the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division. Otherwise known as S.H.I.E.L.D," Carter explained._

_Lucifer snorted. "Could you not think of something shorter?"_

_Carter ignored the comment. "Many of the principles will by the same. We will be protecting the world the threats it may face. The goal is to ensure that people can live their lives without their freedom being impeded. Are you interested, Mr. Morningstar? Or may I call you Agent Morningstar now."_

_Xxxxxxxxxxxx_

_The scene soon changed. Lucifer was in Peggy Carter's office at S.H.I.E.L.D. Neither agent appeared happy._

" _You complete fool! What were you thinking? I told you to wait for me and a backup team!" Carter yelled at Lucifer._

" _I told you I didn't need one! I would've been just fine on my own," Lucifer said._

" _There were twenty men in that compound, all of whom were heavily armed, and you went in alone with no plan! You could've been killed. Worse, I had to send our men in there unprepared with enemies that were probably waiting for them. They could've been killed along with you!" she continued to berate him._

" _That's your fault! I told you, I didn't need them. I'm immortal. You should've let me be," Lucifer argued._

" _I don't care if you think you can't be hurt! I don't even care if you really are the bloody Devil! When you go on a mission, you will have backup! And when you're stupid enough to go into a situation alone, I will send a team in there to save you! Hell, I will come to save you myself!" Carter yelled._

" _Why?"_

" _Because I'm your partner, Lucifer. That's what partners do. That is what S.H.I.E.L.D does. We don't abandon our own!_

_Dream_

Lucifer's eyes opened slightly. Peggy's last words to him in that dream, no, memory, replayed in his mind. They spoke volumes in his current situation, in more ways than one. The most important one of all was that he knew who would help him if he could get word to them. He needed to do so now because he could hear a second voice talking to the detective inside.

Lucifer used what little strength he had to reach into his pocket and pull out his cellphone. He also pulled out the card he'd gotten from one of the S.H.I.E.L.D agents. He dialed the number, which was difficult because his vision wasn't the best right now.

The phone rang once before a voice on the other end picked up. _"Coulson."_

"This is Lucifer Morningstar. My location is the top floor of L…LUX nightclub. I need an extraction i…immediately. I hope you're wa…watching me because if not, I fear you will be too late," Lucifer said.

" _We're here. We'll reach you in minutes,"_ Coulson said before the line went dead.

Lucifer dropped the phone and started trying to get up. He needed to at least try to aid in his own rescue. With much difficulty, he was able to prop himself up against the wall.

"We must get him back inside. This can't be seen," Lucifer heard a man with an accent say.

Lucifer watched as a bald man with a beard approached him, with the detective right behind him. When he got close, Lucifer produced his wings and flung the man away from him. He didn't have the ability to fly, but that didn't mean he couldn't use his wings to aid him.

The man was thrown a few feet away, but he remained conscious. He looked furious as he stood up. "You dare use a weapon of God against me?"

"Why not? He… gave them t…to me. It's about t…time he was good for something," Lucifer said. The man's use of his father's name did tell Lucifer something. This man wasn't HYDRA. He was just one of those religious morons who thought he could protect the world from the Devil. He was likely a priest. This also told him the depth of the detective's betrayal. She'd gone to this man to help her get rid of him. She never accepted what he was, as she claimed.

"We will send you back where you belong, Devil," the man snarled.

Just then, the elevator could be heard, causing Chloe and Kinley to turn towards the inside of the penthouse. Chloe took out her gun.

Lucifer, meanwhile, put his wings away. There was no reason to reveal divinity to a couple of S.H.I.E.L.D agents.

Coulson and May revealed themselves seconds later. "Put the gun down," Coulson ordered.

"You don't know what you're doing. He's not what you think," Chloe said.

May, meanwhile, watched as the man with her took out a knife and moved towards Morningstar. She moved quickly, and kicked him in the arm, forcing him to drop the knife from his hand. She then kicked him again in the stomach, sending him to the ground.

"I won't tell you again, Detective. Lower your weapon! You just attacked a federal agent. I will not hesitate to shoot you!" Coulson warned. He didn't see anything that happened, but Lucifer Morningstar was huddled on the ground looking out of it. It was likely he was drugged, and his so called partner had made it very clear she was not on his side. He didn't think she was HYDRA. She didn't seem experienced enough for that, but she meant a S.H.I.E.L.D agent harm.

"Okay," Chloe finally conceded before lowering her gun and slowly bringing it to the ground.

Coulson slowly bent down to pick it up. "May."

After beating her opponent nearly unconscious," May turned to Coulson, who motioned towards the detective. She immediately went over and aimed her weapon at her.

Coulson went over and knelt down in front of Morningstar. "Agent Morningstar, if we were to get you to a hospital, would they notice a difference in your blood." He still could and would take the man to the hospital, but it would be best to know up front what, if anything, they had to cover up.

"Of course, but I d…don't need a h…hospital. I will be f…fine once I'm away from… _her,"_ Lucifer said while giving the detective a hurt and resentful look.

A few feet away, Kinley began to stir.

Coulson turned to him. "Don't move. I promise you, you'll regret it."

May, meanwhile, looked murderous as she held a gun to Detective Decker. She had no tolerance for traitors, not after what happened with HYDRA and Ward. "You betrayed him. Your own partner!"

"You don't understand. He's not like the rest of us," Chloe said.

Lucifer flinched as he heard those words.

"Are you sure you don't need a hospital?" Coulson asked.

"Yes, I'll be fine. Just help me," Lucifer said as he started to try to get up.

Coulson took him by the arm and helped him to his feet.

"You are interfering in God's work," Kinley said from the floor.

"If God has work to do with this man, perhaps he should do it himself," Coulson said.

"I think I'm going to like you," Lucifer slurred. He was close to losing consciousness.

"May, get him to the car and go back to the hotel. I'll find my way back," Coulson said.

May did not look happy. She wanted to teach these people a lesson, especially the woman. She'd betrayed her own partner. There was not much worse in her eyes than someone who betrayed their own partner. Partners needed to be able to trust each other. She also didn't want to leave Coulson there alone, but he had the situation handled. Plus, she could see the need to get Agent Morningstar out of harm's way.

May went over and maneuvered the drugged man's arm over her shoulder.

"I think we can consider our partnership officially d…dissolved, Detective Decker," Lucifer said without looking at her. He felt many things right now, including a large amount of pain, and he didn't want her to see it.

May walked him into the penthouse and over to the elevator, leaving Coulson to deal with his two assailants.


	6. Chapter 6

After searching and cuffing the two parties involved in the attack on Lucifer Morningstar, Coulson led them both into Morningstar's living room and forced them to sit on the couch. Coulson was beyond furious, but he was able to keep a lid on it. Lucifer Morningstar was one most well-known agents S.H.I.E.L.D ever had, and for good reason. He was a remarkable agent. He'd done a lot of good for the world. These two had treated him like garbage.

It wasn't as if an attack on a S.H.I.E.L.D agent was new to Coulson. They led very dangerous lives. However, both these people acted as if they'd done something noble. The man, who Coulson learned was a priest named William Kinley after searching him, kept muttering about Lucifer Morningstar being Satan, and how it was his job to send him back to Hell. Decker was no better in Coulson's eyes. In fact, she was worse. Not only was she a cop, she was Morningstar's partner. That made her actions even more awful than they already were.

Coulson took in the scene. There were two glasses on the coffee table nearby. He could only guess that hat was how Morningstar was attacked. He was probably having a drink with his partner, not knowing that she was drugging him. Coulson would make sure to take the glasses with him and find out exactly what was in them.

Finally, Coulson turned back to the two suspects. "The two of you just attempted to murder a federal agent. That could easily see you in federal prison for the rest of your lives. I suggest someone tells me something to change that outcome." Unfortunately, he couldn't legally put them in prison or take them into custody. S.H.I.E.L.D was technically no longer an agency, which made Coulson technically a civilian. But these two didn't need to know that.

"We don't answer to you, sir. We are soldiers of God," Kinley said.

Coulson could hardly believe the man's arrogance. Worship was one thing, but this man was so far gone that he thought his faith would keep him from paying for any crimes he committed. Coulson made a mental note to have Skye thoroughly investigate this man. He wanted to know what else Kinley had done. "I'll tell you what. When and if God comes down to govern the mess that is this world, I will gladly step aside and let him take over. Until then, I will stop at nothing to bring predators like the two of you to justice."

Chloe decided that she'd better take over at this point. Kinley was not helping them at this point. This man was an officer of the law. So was she. She could only hope he'd listen to her. She at least had a chance. This agent at least knew Lucifer wasn't like everyone else. "Look, I know you're just trying to up hold the law, and I know what happened here doesn't look very good."

"No, it doesn't, Detective Decker. In fact, it looks terrible, especially for you. You're police detective who just committed a very violent crime. Your actions are a disgrace to your badge," Coulson told her.

Chloe shook her head. "You don't understand. Look, I didn't want to hurt Lucifer. I thought he was my friend, but he's dangerous. He only became more dangerous when we realized he had his hands in the federal government."

"And how's that?" Coulson asked, deciding to humor her for the moment.

"He's the Devil!" Kinley snapped.

"Okay, stop. I have this handled," Chloe told Kinley before turning back to Coulson. "You have to know he's not like everyone else. He told me that he hasn't been a federal agent in at least sixty years. You must know that, and if so, you know he's different."

"You're right, I do. He wouldn't be the first person I've met that's different, and you wouldn't be the first I've met that turned against those that were loyal to them because of something similar. People like you are actually quite common. You can't handle someone who's not like you," Coulson said. That was partially why the gifted index was created. Yes, a large part of it was to protect gifted individuals from themselves and others. Many times, they ended up hurting others, sometimes by accident and sometimes intentionally. S.H.I.E.L.D to prevent that. However, another reason Peggy Carter had proposed the possibility of the index was to protect gifted people from being exploited or persecuted. After learning about Lucifer Morningstar having some sort of abilities, Coulson suspected Carter had been trying to find a way to protect her partner from people like this.

Chloe glared at him. This man made her seem like a monster because she couldn't accept Lucifer. He didn't know what he was talking about. She was trying to protect the world. "Don't look at me that way. I am not the problem here! Lucifer has done terrible things. I didn't want to hurt him, but I had no choice!"

"Oh, he's done terrible things? Like what? What do you have on him that is enough to warrant execution?" Coulson asked.

"He's always around when bad things happen. There were many points in history when the world was in chaos that he was around for. He was in Germany during World War II. It's been documented. There are photos. And that's only one incident," Chloe explained.

"Really? And I assume that this evidence you have proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was directly involved. It must, right? You couldn't justify your actions any other way, right?" Coulson asked, skepticism was clear in his voice.

Chloe faltered a little. It was true, she couldn't prove Lucifer's involvement, and that was a point she's made to Kinley herself, but after so much documentation was presented, it was clear he had to be involved, right? "His presence there has to mean something. He was there at many points when devastation was created."

"And you assume he was there because he created it? Did you even consider that he was there to stop it, or even just to understand it?" Coulson asked. He could hardly believe he was dealing with a cop right now. She should know better than to jump to conclusions so easily.

Chloe opened her mouth to speak, but stopped. What could she say to that? If Lucifer was anyone else, she would've said the same. But he was the Devil. There was so much literature that said he was bad. How could she believe anything else?

"Detective Decker, your so called evidence wouldn't even be enough for an arrest. It would be enough to make Lucifer a person of interest, but that's about it. You have no proof of what he's done. I do, at least as far as the World War II incident is concerned. I've got a file as big as a chapter book on all the things he's done during and post World War II. It was because of his work during the war that he was asked to become an agent. You found out he was around during that time and jumped to the ludicrous conclusion that he somehow caused it. In truth, he helped stop it. He was instrumental in bringing down an extremely dangerous group of Nazis interested in world domination," Coulson told her.

Chloe's stomach dropped. That couldn't be true, could it? She'd speculated to Kinley that maybe Lucifer had been doing good in the federal agency he was a part of, but the research Kinley showed her in Rome supported otherwise. Until now anyway. Agent Coulson was right. The evidence she had wasn't really evidence. That was something else she pointed out to Kinley, but she'd let him convince her that Lucifer needed to go back to Hell because she was afraid of him. Plus, she had everything the bible said in her head. The couldn't have come from nowhere, right? The entire world couldn't be wrong.

"Don't let this man sway you, Chloe. You know the Devil is evil. He needs to be stopped," Kinley said.

Coulson continued to ignore the priest and focused on Decker. "You know, I did a little research before coming here. Lucifer Morningstar was your partner for three years. He's saved your life quite a few times. Most recently from a man within your department, one you were about to marry, who was actually a crime boss."

Chloe flinched a bit from the reminder of Pierce. That whole situation was not amongst her best memories. She felt like a fool for not seeing Pierce for what he really was. Could that be why she turned on Lucifer so quickly? But he was the Devil. He was supposed to be evil. All the literature said so. Yet, this man in front of her claimed to have evidence that Lucifer had only ever helped people. He had no reason to lie. He barely knew Lucifer. Plus, Chloe had seen first-hand that Lucifer had done good. Yet, it was as if all that went away when she saw his devil face.

"Chloe, this agent is being manipulated by the Devil, just as you were," Kinley said.

Coulson looked at them in disgust. "You know, your friend here is a piece of work, Decker, but he doesn't compare to you. At least he can say that he didn't know Lucifer Morningstar. You did. He was your partner. I say was because you successfully threw that away. And if I have anything to say about it, you won't be anyone's partner much longer. Unfortunately, I can't arrest the two of you. I can't prove what you did without turning Lucifer's blood over for analysis, which would cause many problems for him. I think you've done enough damage to this man as it is. But that doesn't mean you'll get away with it. In your case, Decker, I intend to do everything I can to make sure you lose your badge. If you've got any skeletons, I will find them and make sure they come to light. Kinley, I intend to make sure you lose your job by the end of the day. I don't need a blood sample for that. And if you're in this country with anything less than a citizenship, I will have you deported."

"You can do nothing to me," Kinley said pompously.

"We'll find out. Get up, both of you," Coulson ordered as he took out the keys to their cuffs. When they were on their feet, he took the handcuffs off. It pained him to do it. If S.H. .D was still a legitimate organization, he could bring them in without any red tape, but he didn't have that ability right now. "Now, get out."

"You have interfered with God's plan tonight, sir. He will undoubtedly see you in Hell," Kinley said before walking towards the elevator.

"I have no doubt I was headed there anyway," Coulson said without missing a beat.

Chloe followed Kinley, though she did so with much more guilt. She was no longer so sure of the righteousness of what she'd just done.


	7. Chapter 7

Coulson walked into his hotel suite with his phone pressed to his ear. He noticed May nearby as soon as he entered the room, but he focused on his phone call. "Yeah, I want to know everything you can find out about both of them. I don't care how miniscule the detail might seem. Thanks, Skye," he said before hanging up the phone.

"You didn't have them arrested," May said. It wasn't a question. She was already pretty sure he wasn't going to, even though they deserved it. They couldn't bring them into S.H.I.E.L.D custody because it was no longer a legal agency, and they couldn't involve local law enforcement without proof, which they couldn't get without exposing Lucifer Morningstar.

"I couldn't. I can't obtain proof of what they did without a blood sample, which can't happen," Coulson said.

"They belong in prison, especially the woman. She's a traitor," May said coldly. Obviously, she had a particular distaste for traitors right now. She always had actually, but it only got worse they learned the truth about Ward."

"I know, May. Believe me, I hate that I had to let them both go, but, that does not mean they'll get away with it. That's why I asked Skye to look into both Decker and William Kinley. I intend to ruin them as much as possible. I also confiscated evidence at the penthouse that I plan to have Simmons test when we get back. I'm hoping she might be able to trace it back to them," Coulson said as he held up a small bag that held the glasses from the penthouse. "How's Morningstar?"

"He was barely conscious by the time I got him to the car. I was ready to take him to the hospital, despite him telling us he didn't need it, but halfway through the ride, he regained consciousness and started to rapidly improve. By the time we made it back here, he was fine. There was no trace that he was ever even impaired," May said in disbelief. Lucifer Morningstar had told them he'd be fine, but she didn't really expect such a fast recovery. One minute, he had been deteriorating and the next he was almost back to normal. She'd never seen anyone with that ability. She'd also never seen anyone with the ability to go over sixty years without aging at all.

"Well, we already knew he was different than everyone else, even those we've encountered before. Where is he?" Coulson asked.

"Showering. I gave him some of your clothes. I figured you wouldn't mind," May said.

Coulson shook his head that he didn't mind. "Has he said anything?"

"Not really. Not many would have much to say after their partner tried to kill them. I assume that was what she was doing anyway, " May said.

Coulson nodded. That was the consensus he'd come to as well.

"I'm gonna head back to my room to shower myself. Let me know if you need anything," May said.

Coulson nodded and watched her leave. He then went over to the mini bar and poured a couple of drinks.

Lucifer came out of the bathroom moments later wearing a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt.

Coulson held a drink out for him. "I figured you could use one of these."

"I assume this one hasn't been spiked," Lucifer said somewhat bitterly as he took the offered glass. He immediately took a big gulp.

"They aren't HYDRA," Coulson said, knowing Morningstar would figure out what he meant.

"I know. The attack wasn't nearly organized enough. Besides, the detective would never work for HYDRA," Lucifer said.

"The man involved was a priest. He appears to have been the leader," Coulson said.

"Of course, he was a bloody priest," Lucifer said with a scowl. He'd come to the conclusion that it was something like that with the way the bastard kept mentioning Lucifer's father.

"I couldn't have them arrested without exposing you," Coulson said regretfully.

"It's fine. I don't want the detective in prison," Lucifer said. Even after everything she'd done, he didn't want to see the detective hurt. He knew he shouldn't care. He didn't want to care, but he still did. Suddenly, he couldn't wait to get out of LA. He wanted to be as far away from her as possible.

Unfortunately, Coulson wasn't surprised to hear that. He knew that even once a good friend betrayed your trust, it wasn't easy to completely write them off. He remembered right they learned Ward betrayed them. Fitz couldn't accept it. He kept trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. It was hard to accept betrayal. "I know what it means to be betrayed. Many people I considered friends turned out to be HYDRA. A member of my own team betrayed us."

Lucifer decided to change the subject immediately. He was not about to talk about this, definitely not with someone he'd met just a day earlier. "I will not allow HYDRA wreak havoc on the world. I will return to S.H.I.E.L.D until they are at least stopped."

"I'm glad to hear it, Agent Morningstar. Welcome back," Coulson said.

"Let me make one thing clear. You will not be adding me to your bloody index!" Lucifer said sharply. He assumed that idea of Carter's became reality. He would not be a part of it. He hated the bloody thing. It was why he left S.H.I.E.L.D. That thing was a way of controlling people who were different. He wanted nothing to do with it.

"Understood. Agent Morningstar…"

"Lucifer," he corrected before taking a sip of his drink.

"Okay, Lucifer. I read your file. I know you left S.H.I.E.L.D because you and Peggy Carter had a difference of opinion regarding the index," Coulson said.

Lucifer snorted. "Yes, I suppose you could call it that. The index is designed to control people that are different."

"You're right. We do attempt to control people who are gifted because they are unable to control themselves. Most people with abilities don't know how to handle their abilities. They can't control them. There are some that even use their abilities to harm," Coulson said.

"And most of them were already despicable humans without powers. Powers make no difference," Lucifer said.

"Of course, they do. I'm not saying that they are worse because they have powers. I assume that's what you're talking about, and you're right about that. But powers certainly make a difference for people who already have nefarious intentions. It gives them powerful weapons that others can't defend themselves against. Having that information gives us a chance against people like that. But that's not the only reason the index was created, in my opinion," Coulson said.

"And what's the other reason?" Lucifer asked, still sounding unconvinced that this thing was in any way good.

"Peggy Carter had experience with people with powers. She was incredibly close to Steve Rogers before he was thought dead. She worked by his side. And she worked by yours. I think she probably knew you were different than everyone else," Coulson said.

Lucifer didn't respond. "He'd always wondered if Carter knew. He doubted she believed he was the Devil, but she probably knew he wasn't human. She never confirmed that knowledge, but she never called him a liar or insane."

"I think she knew that there were people out there that would exploit or target you. People like Decker and Kinley," he said.

Lucifer flinched slightly at the mention of the detective.

"Knowing who and where people like that are gives S.H.I.E.L.D the power to protect them," Coulson explains.

"By giving their enemies a list?" Lucifer asked. He'd honestly never considered that that was what Carter wanted. He'd stopped listening when she proposed her plan. But even if Coulson was right, Carter's good intentions were flawed.

"No. That list was for S.H.I.E.L.D's eyes only," Coulson said.

"And apparently HYDRA's," Lucifer pointed out.

Coulson wasn't sure what to say to that. Lucifer wasn't wrong. Because S.H.I.E.L.D had been infiltrated, HYDRA had access to things they shouldn't have, including the index. "Everything has flaws, including the index. I'm just saying we had good intentions. The index has its uses."

"Perhaps, but it does more harm than good, especially now. I suppose it is irrelevant at the moment, since S.H.I.E.L.D technically doesn't exist now. As I said, I will return to put a stop to HYDRA. After that is done, I make you no promises," he said.

"I understand."

"I will need another day to get my affairs in order," Lucifer said. There were others he needed to say goodbye to. Clearly, there would be no heartfelt goodbye with the detective, but he had friends, such as Miss Lopez, Maze, and Linda to say goodbye to. Plus, he needed to deal with LUX, since it was likely he wouldn't return.

"Of course. We'll leave when you're ready," Coulson said.

Lucifer poured himself another drink and gulped it down.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, Lucifer made his way to Linda's home. It was her day off, so she wouldn't be at the office. Plus, he wasn't there for a session, though he would admit that he probably needed one. He was there to say goodbye.

Lucifer knocked on the door. Seconds later, Linda answered the door.

"HI, Lucifer. Come on in," Linda said before stepping aside.

Lucifer did so and let her lead him into the living room. He was surprised to find Amenadiel there. The last time he saw him, he was going up to the Silver City permanently. "Brother, did you tire of the Silver City already. I've always found it rather boring, but I was under the impression you loved it."

Amenadiel chuckled. "Hey, Luci. I've actually decided to stay on Earth for a while. I came to tell you, but you haven't been around."

"Yes, well, I've had a lot on my plate recently. I'm glad you're here anyway. I came to tell Linda that I'm leaving town. Now you know as well," Lucifer said.

"So, you decided," Linda surmised. She wasn't surprised. Lucifer had already made it clear that he didn't really think he had a choice but to resume his life with the federal government. Given what he'd told her, she couldn't say she was sorry he was doing it either.

"Yes. As I told you, there wasn't really much of a choice, and my reluctance has waned since we last spoke," Lucifer said. He wanted to leave now. He couldn't say he was that excited to return to S.H.I.E.L.D, as he still believed it had its flaws, but he was anxious to get away from the detective. He was also looking forward to the distraction of trying to take down HYDRA. The less he had to think about what had just happened, the better.

"What's going on?" Amenadiel asked. Clearly he had missed something. His brother wasn't at all thinking of leaving LA the last time they spoke. And the way he and Linda spoke seemed to make it clear that this was not a pleasurable trip.

"Are you aware of my trip to Earth around the end of World War II," Lucifer asked his brother. He honestly wasn't sure if his brother knew because he didn't come after him at the time. It crossed his mind that Amenadiel may have been too busy at the time to even notice his presence.

"Of course," Amenadiel said as though it should've been obvious.

"Well, you didn't attempt to force me back to Hell, so I wasn't sure," Lucifer said.

"That was a complicated time. Half the world was at odds. New souls were arriving to the Silver City by the second. I'm sure it was the same in Hell, if not worse. I was annoyed when I realized you left Hell at such an inconvenient time, but I decided that dealing with you could wait," Amenadiel explained.

"Yes, I did consider that, but you still didn't after the war was over," Lucifer said.

"That's because Father told me not to. You had just joined a human federal agency. When we became aware of HYDRA, it was a real concern. There are dictatorships in certain places, but this was world domination. You helped put an end to that and worked to continue to stop those like HYDRA. I think Father was interested in seeing if you'd continue that path. I'm ashamed to say that I figured he'd be disappointed. I figured you'd grow bored and show your true colors. I'm also sorry to say that I took pleasure when you left S.H.I.E.L.D. I felt I was proven right," Amenadiel said. Looking back, he hated the way he'd thought of and treated his brother. He'd come to see Lucifer much like how humanity did. He hadn't given him any credit at all.

Lucifer glared at his brother. "I didn't leave because I was bored!"

"I'm sorry, Luci. I wasn't who I am now. Anyway, what does that have to do with you leaving?" Amenadiel asked.

"HYDRA has returned and S.H.I.E.L.D has been crippled. There are a few agents who have survived S.H.I.E.L.D's destruction, and they have asked me to help build it back up again and destroy HYDRA," Lucifer explained.

Amenadiel was near horrified. As he'd said, HYDRA had been a concern, but one Heaven couldn't do much about without revealing themselves or killing a bunch of humans, both of which were forbidden. It was a problem if that organization was building back up. "HYDRA has to be stopped."

"Yes, thank you for that completely obvious remark. That is why I'm going," Lucifer said.

"When do you think you'll be back?" Linda asked.

Lucifer turned and gave her a sad look. "I won't. I don't know how long I will remain with S.H.I.E.L.D, but I won't be returning to LA."

"Why? What happened?" Linda asked. Something must have gone wrong for Lucifer to decide he wasn't coming back. She would've thought he would be anxious to return, if for no other reason than to get back to Chloe.

Lucifer stiffened quite a bit. "If you don't mind, I'd rather not discuss it."

Amenadiel stood up from his spot on the couch. "Luci, what's going on? Did something happen with Chloe? Did she not take you leaving well?"

"She hasn't taken much of anything well!" Lucifer snapped before sitting down. He told them everything. They weren't going to let it go at this point, so he figured there wasn't much point in trying to hide it.

Amenadiel was shocked, and frankly angry, after hearing Lucifer tell him what Chloe had done to him. She betrayed him. Lucifer had cared more about Chloe than anyone else. Her betrayal had to be killing him, especially after he'd finally been convinced that she accepted him. She'd lied to him. That was huge for Lucifer. It was probably even worse than drugging him. "Lucifer, I'm so sorry. What she did is awful. You deserve better."

"Do you know what they were hoping to accomplish?" Linda asked as she sat next to him. It didn't really matter that much, as it was still a horrible betrayal, but she wanted to know if Chloe had actually been trying to murder Lucifer.

"It's not exactly hard to deduce. That Kinley bastard said they were sending me where I belong. That only means one place," Lucifer said before pulling a flask from his pocket and taking a big sip from it.

"Well, I get why you don't want to come back here," Amenadiel said as he sat on the other side of his brother. Lucifer loved this place in large part because of Chloe. Too much would remind him of her. Stepping into his penthouse alone would probably remind him of her, given that she'd attacked him in it. Honestly, Amenadiel wondered if his brother would return to Hell if Earth didn't need him right now.

"But you should know that there are still people who care about you. You have other friends here to come back to. Plus, there's something you should know. I just found out that I'm pregnant. Amenadiel and I are having a baby. You're going to have a niece or nephew," Linda said with a smile.

Lucifer was completely dumbfounded. He never thought it was possible for an angel to have a child with a human. It had never happened before, and no one had ever mentioned that it was possible. However, knowing that it had happened only strengthened his resolve in regard to his mission. "This is all the more reason for me to go. I will not allow the possibility of your child growing up in a world controlled by HYDRA. It will have the ability to make its own decisions."

"I thank you for that. I understand that you have to go. I just hope that you will come back someday, even if it's just to visit from time to time. I want my baby to know you," she said.

"Very well. I will consider it, but it won't be for a while. First of all, I doubt the business I have to handle will be over quickly. Second, I just can't be here right now," Lucifer said.

Linda reached over and took his hand. "I understand. I know you're not ready to talk about it now, but if you need me while you're gone, just call. I'm still here for you, no matter where you are."

"Thank you, Doctor," Lucifer said before standing up. Amenadiel and Linda stood as well.

"Are you leaving now?" Amenadiel asked.

"No. I still have a couple of other people to see, but this will likely be the last time you see me. I will be gone by tomorrow night," Lucifer said.

Amenadiel nodded and hugged his brother. "Call for me if you need anything. I'm here for you whenever."

Lucifer hugged his brother briefly before pulling away.

Linda hugged him next. "Thank you for what you're doing. I wish you didn't have to, but, I appreciate all your willing to sacrifice for all of us."

"Of course," he said as he hugged her. He then pulled away. "I need to go. I have to go to LUX and make some final preparations."

"Keep in touch," Amenadiel said.

Lucifer nodded and began to walk away.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Lucifer walked into the precinct. He'd gone in quite early in hopes of avoiding the detective. She didn't usually arrive until around eight, as she had to get her offspring off to school. Miss Lopez, however, normally arrived around seven, and that was who Lucifer wanted to see.

As Lucifer entered the lab, he was happy to see Miss Lopez setting her things up for the day.

Ella smiled when she saw Lucifer come in. "Hey. It's good to see you. You weren't in yesterday."

"Yes, well, I had some matters to attend to. Actually, Miss Lopez, I'm afraid this will by my last visit," Lucifer said.

Ella's smile fell. "Does this have to do with the rumors going around the department?"

Lucifer nodded. He could guess what those rumors were. SHIELD agents had walked in to the department and called him a federal agent. He imagined that that wouldn't take long to get along. "Yes, and if you have any doubt, yes, those rumors are true. I was once and am again a federal agent."

"How come you never told us?" Ella asked.

"It was quite a while ago. I considered that part of my life to be in the past. It was no longer who I was. I never expected, nor wanted, agents to show up wishing my return." Lucifer said.

"It's hard to believe you're a fed. I mean, you're great. You've done a lot of good things. It's just that you pretty much ignore every rule in the department," Ella said.

"Yes, because I can," Lucifer said with a smile. "Not carrying a badge has its perks. It's someone else's job to worry about what rules are followed. Though I will say that my rules as an agent were more lax than the rules are here. Still, it was annoying."

"If they annoyed you so much, why go back?" Ella asked.

"I don't have much choice. Things have happened that require me to return. The consequences would severe if I chose not to," he said.

"I'm guessing you can't tell me what happened," Ella said.

"I'm afraid not."

Ella hugged him tightly. "I'm really going to miss you. I wish I could try to convince you not to go, but given that you're going to help the federal government. I guess that would be kind of selfish."

"And no one could accuse you of that, Miss Lopez," Lucifer said as he hugged her.

Ella pulled away after a minute. "Chloe must be devastated. She does know, doesn't she?"

"Oh, yes. Believe me, our goodbyes have been said," Lucifer said in a tight voice.

"I don't imagine that was easy," she said.

"No, there was nothing easy about it. Anyway, I need to go. I have many things to do before I leave," Lucifer said.

"When are you leaving?" Ella asked.

"Tonight. I have some things to deal with at the club first and I need to speak with Maze," Lucifer said.

"So this is the last time I'll see you for a while," Ella said sadly.

Lucifer nodded. He knew he should probably tell her that he didn't intend to come back, but he knew she'd try to convince him to come back and he couldn't deal with that. He could not come back here again, not as long as the detective was there.

"Well, good luck. Make sure you keep yourself safe," Ella said.

"Well, of course, Miss Lopez. I'm immortal, remember?" Lucifer asked before heading out of the lab.

He barely made it out of the lab when he froze. The detective was standing directly in front of him when he turned around.

"Lucifer," Chloe said awkwardly, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Not to worry, Detective. I was just leaving. I will be gone by tonight. I know my leaving the state isn't enough for you, but it will have to do," Lucifer said a bit coldly before moving to walk past her.

Chloe stepped in his path. "Lucifer, wait. Just let me explain why…"

"I believe your actions spoke volumes. There is nothing else we need to say to each other," Lucifer said.

"Lucifer, come on. You have to at least listen to my side," Chloe said desperately. She'd spent a great deal of time thinking since the dressing down she'd received from Agent Coulson. She knew she'd made a terrible mistake, but it wasn't all her fault. She had good reason to think the things she did. Lucifer should at least hear her out on that.

"Do I? You mean the way you listened to my side. Oh, but you didn't, did you? You fled and made your mind up about me without even speaking to me! Worse, you lied to me!" Lucifer said scathingly. He hated liars. There was nothing worse in his mind. It made it so much worse that he was lied to by the person he trusted the most.

"I was afraid. How could I not be? What I saw was horrifying. Then I had all this evidence about the things you were involved in. Well, okay, it wasn't really evidence, but you were present for so many bad things in history. Kinley convinced me that those couldn't be coincidences," Chloe explained.

"He convinced you? So it's his fault, not yours?" Lucifer asked with disgust. Not only had she betrayed him, but she denied responsibility, much like many humans did when they accused him of being responsible for their sins. It made him extremely angry, and he was almost grateful for it because it helped mask the hurt from her betrayal when he could focus on anger instead.

"Yes. Well, no. Some of it is my fault, but you have to understand the position I was in. I had just seen your face. I was confused. Then I met Kinley, and the things he said made sense with what I knew about the Devil," Chloe said.

"You mean what you've read and heard from humans who never met me. But you met me, Detective. If anyone should know who I am, it should be you," Lucifer told her.

"Kinley convinced me it wasn't real, that you were lying…"

"I don't lie!" Lucifer said sharply.

"I didn't know," was all Chloe could say.

"Then you never knew me. There is nothing more to discuss. Well, actually there is one thing. I suppose I should thank you. Your betrayal has made it much easier to leave. You also helped me appreciate my real partner, a woman who always had my back, who treated me as her equal. Two things I now realize that you never did. I only wish I could tell her," Lucifer said. He now regretted his last meeting with Carter. They had not left it on good terms. He had been too enraged about the gifted index. He wished he could tell her now how much he appreciated her friendship.

Chloe couldn't deny that his words cut, so much so that she felt the need to lash back out at him. "Well, she didn't know what I do, did she?"

"I honestly don't know what she did or didn't know. That's a secret she took with her to Silver City. I'm fairly certain she knew I wasn't like everyone else. I do know that the two agents that came to my rescue last night knew I wasn't, neither of whom had ever seen me outside of pictures, and they showed more concern for my well-being than a woman I knew for over three years." Lucifer shot back. He was honestly starting to wonder if he'd ever known this woman. He never imagined she could hurt him like this, and then act like it wasn't even really her fault. How could he have fallen in love with someone like that.

Once again, Lucifer's words hurt Chloe, mostly because she couldn't really deny that they were true. Strangers had to stop her from sending Lucifer back to Hell. They knew he wasn't human, but they helped him anyway, and they were horrified by what she'd done. "I don't know what else to say."

"Nothing. As I said, we have nothing else to discuss. Goodbye, Detective Decker," Lucifer said before walking away.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Maze walked into the club, and was surprised to see that no one was getting ready to open. It was almost eight on a Friday night, one of the busiest nights of the week for Lux. Surely Lucifer wasn't going to be stupid enough to stay closed.

Maze walked to the bar and found Lucifer there pouring himself a drink. "Hello, Mazikeen."

"Pour me one. Where is everyone?" Maze asked.

Lucifer grabbed her a glass and poured some Scotch into it before handing it to her. "Lux isn't opening tonight. As of tonight, the club will be under new management."

Maze looked at him in surprise. "You're not selling the club."

"No. I don't have time to sell it, nor am I ready to, but I will not be here to run it any longer. Speaking of, if you still wish to return to Hell, I'll take you now. You'll need to decide quickly though. I'll be gone by the end of the night, and likely unable to communicate with anyone for a while," Lucifer told her.

"What the hell is going on? What happened with you and Decker now?" Maze asked. It seemed obvious that Chloe was involved. The last time Lucifer took off, he'd just found out that his father put her in his path.

Lucifer stiffened a bit, but recovered quickly. "She's not why I decided to leave, but while we're on the subject, you may want to find other living arrangements." He then told her what happened at the penthouse the last time the detective was there. Maze deserved to know in case she needed to protect herself.

"That bitch! I'll kill her!" Maze snarled.

"You will not!" Lucifer said sharply. He hated it, but a part of him still cared for the detective. He supposed that didn't simply go away when someone betrayed you.

"You're still protecting her? She betrayed you!" Maze yelled.

"You will not touch her, Mazikeen!" Lucifer said with a low growl.

"Fine," Maze said reluctantly. She knew better than to fight Lucifer when he spoke in that tone. "Well, if you're not leaving because of her then why?"

"You recall my visit to Earth towards the end of World War II, yes?"

"Yeah. When you got back, you said there were people on Earth circumventing Free Will you had to help punish," Maze said. She'd tried to get more details than that, but that was all he'd been willing to say.

"I was working with the federal government to help stop people looking to control the rest of humanity. I'm leaving for the same reason. The world could be in serious trouble if this group is allowed to continue to exist," Lucifer said.

"Humans try to control each other all the time. There are dictator everywhere. What makes this different?" Maze asked.

"This isn't just one part of the world. This organization wants to control all of it. They have technology at their disposal to do so if they aren't stopped. I will never allow such a thing," Lucifer said firmly.

"When are you leaving?"

"In a couple of hours. Do you wish to return to Hell?" he asked.

"No. Linda's gonna be having a kid soon, and I plan to be there," Maze said. She never would've guessed a few months ago that she'd opt to stay on Earth, but things were going well again. Well, except for this. "You're not coming back, are you?"

"Not here, no. I will try to keep in touch, but I'm not sure when that will happen," Lucifer said.

Maze swallowed the contents of her drink in a couple of gulps and slid the glass back over to Lucifer. "Pour me another. If you're leaving in two hours, this is how we're gonna spend it."

Lucifer smirked and poured another drink.


	10. Chapter 10

Coulson led the way onto the S.H.I.E.L.D base after flying back with both May and Lucifer. Coulson used his ID badge to get in. "Welcome to the Playground, Lucifer."

Lucifer laughed. "The Playground. That sounds like the setting of a porn film, not a secret base."

Coulson smiled as they walked inside. "We didn't pick the name. Prepare yourself for some attention. Practically everyone hear has learned about you in the academy." The only one that might not recognize him was Skye, since she didn't go to the academy and was still brushing up on S.H.I.E.L.D history.

"I get the feeling he likes attention," May commented.

Lucifer smirked. "Who doesn't?"

Once inside, they were greeted by Billy Koenig. "Welcome back, sir. How was your…?" He trailed off when he got a good look at Lucifer. "That looks like…"

Coulson smiled. "Billy Koenig, Lucifer Morningstar."

Lucifer stuck out his hand for the agent.

Billy enthusiastically shook Lucifer's hand. "Oh, you have no idea how wonderful it is to meet you, sir. I never thought I'd see this day. What, with you being at least ninety something by now. But it's hardly the weirdest thing I've seen while working with S.H.I.E.L.D."

Lucifer snorted as finally extracted his hand from the eager agent. "Indeed."

"I will get started on your lanyard right away," Billy said.

"My what?" Lucifer asked before he focused on the ID card with the S.H.I.E.L.D logo around the man's neck. "Oh, absolutely not. The Devil would not be caught dead wearing something like that."

Coulson chuckled. "You don't have to wear it, but you do need an ID recognizing you as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent to get in. Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of the team, which I'm sorry to say isn't much."

Lucifer wordlessly followed the two other agents.

"Our numbers are very few since HYDRA revealed themselves. We're trying to get the true S.H.I.E.L.D agents to return, but we're not having much luck," Coulson explained as they walked.

"Why on Earth would you do that?" Lucifer asked as if it were ludicrous.

Coulson and May both stopped to look at Lucifer as if what he'd just asked them made absolutely no sense.

"Anyone who worked for S.H.I.E.L.D previously is suspect. You don't know if you can trust any of them. I assume you don't want another infiltration on your hands," Lucifer said.

"We're being careful about who we talk to and what we tell them. We're only even approaching those we're pretty sure we can trust," Coulson said.

"I imagine that at one time, you thought you could trust all of them. Did you believe your comrades would turn on you? Did you think one of your own subordinates would be a mole?" Lucifer asked.

"He has a point," May said. She was always nervous about recruiting former S.H.I.E.L.D agents to come back. Any of them could end up being traitors. She just didn't see any other option if they were going to rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D

"I know, but we don't have much choice," Coulson said.

"Yes, you do. Recruit new agents. Aside from the few you already have, that I'm sure you've vetted thoroughly, don't hire anymore actual S.H.I.E.L.D agents. Make sure that there is no possible way for infiltration," Lucifer said.

"I think Fury sort of suggested the same thing," May told Coulson.

"I know, but it would take too long. Can you even imagine how long it would take to recruit, vet, and train so many new agents?" Coulson asked.

"Oh, I have no need to imagine," Lucifer said. He'd been recruited when S.H.I.E.L.D had barely begun. He vetted and trained new agents alongside Peggy Carter and Daniel Sousa. It was a new form of torture he was glad to say he hadn't been subjected to since then. "While I have no desire to live through such torture again, it may be the only way to ensure S.H.I.E.L.D succeeds."

"Fury did say to take our time," May reminded Coulson.

"I know, but with HYDRA on the loose, we don't have time. Who knows the amount of damage they could do while we're recruiting?" Coulson asked.

"Not nearly as much as they could if they infiltrate again. They've proven that, haven't they?" Lucifer asked.

Coulson sighed. He could definitely see that logic. He wanted to speed the process up, but doing so could just bring them full circle down the road. S.H.I.E.L.D likely wouldn't survive another infiltration. Hell, it hadn't exactly survived this time. They were forced to work in secret because they were blamed for everything HYDRA had done. "Okay, you may be right. I will definitely consider it. I don't want to see what just happened repeated. In the meantime, let me show you around and introduce you to the others. Everyone here is loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"You're sure?" Lucifer asked Coulson. Even if he was sure, Lucifer intended to vet every one of them himself. He could get information they couldn't.

"Yes. They've all fought to stop HYDRA when it took over. I also have some other agents that I've already recruited. I've investigated them thoroughly and I trust them. You can feel free to talk to them as well," Coulson said as they began walking again. He assumed Lucifer would want to interrogate all his people to ascertain their loyalty, and Coulson was fine with it. They all needed to be able to trust each other in order to work together.

"I will take you up on that," Lucifer said.

On their way, they ran into Trip, who was carrying some files, and subsequently dropped them when his eyes landed on Lucifer. His eyes also looked like they were going to bug out of his head. "Is that…?"

Coulson chuckled. "Agent Triplett, meet Lucifer Morningstar, S.H.I.E.L.D'S new, and former, agent."

"No way! It's his grandson or something, right?" Trip asked in disbelief.

"I beg your pardon. I would never produce a spawn. They're little monsters," Lucifer said.

"It's really him, Trip. I'm surprised Simmons didn't tell you," Coulson said. He would've thought that she would've gushed to everyone that Lucifer Morningstar was still alive, and that he was joining S.H.I.E.L.D. Then again, she might have kept it a secret to see their faces when they saw Lucifer.

"How is this possible?" Trip asked.

"How is anything we've seen possible?" Coulson asked, only joking a little bit.

Trip stuck his hand out for Lucifer to shake. "It's great to meet you. You have no idea how great it is."

Lucifer shook his head. "You as well."

"Lucifer's coming back to S.H.I.E.L.D. He'll probably want to ask you some questions later. Unsurprisingly, he's less than trustful of S.H.I.E.L.D agents after learning of HYDRA's infiltration. I want you to cooperate with him," Coulson said.

"Yeah, sure," Trip said before bending over to pick up the files he dropped. He could understand distrust. They all had quite a bit of it after what happened. People they'd all considered friends had turned out to be enemies.

The three of them continued on their way. Coulson led them into the lab, where they found Simmons, Fitz, and Skye.

"Hey, you guys are back," Skye said when she saw them.

"Whoa!" Fitz said as he stared at Lucifer.

Simmons was grinning from ear to ear as she approached. She immediately took Lucifer Morningstar's hand. "It's such an honor to meet you, sir. I'm Jemma Simmons. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the work you did for S.H.I.E.L.D. You were wonderful. We're very lucky to have you back."

Lucifer smiled at the young woman. "Well, thank you, Darling. It's nice to hear such appreciation from the Devil for a change." He couldn't deny enjoying the praise he received the moment he stepped foot on base. He wasn't used to hearing such praise. It was usually the other way around. Most had disdain for him. Well, for the Devil anyway, which was the same thing."

"Wait, who is this guy?" Skye asked. Simmons was acting like he was a celebrity and Fitz also seemed to be in awe over him. From what Simmons said, he had something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D.

"How can you not know who is?" Fitz asked in disbelief.

"Yes, you really must brush up on your S.H.I.E.L.D history. This is Lucifer Morningstar. He was Peggy Carter's first partner, before Daniel Sousa. He wasn't with S.H.I.E.L.D for more than a few years, but he made his mark," Simmons gushed.

"Yeah. He founded the… the…" Fitz trailed off as he tried to remember the word he was looking for. He forgot a lot of things after nearly drowning because of Ward.

"The Academy," Simmons finished for him.

"Yes, I was going to say that!" Fitz snapped before walking away.

"Please don't mind Fitz. He was hurt very badly recently, and has trouble with his brain. Its left him very frustrated," Simmons told Lucifer.

"HYDRA?" Lucifer asked.

Coulson nodded. The HYDRA operative that infiltrated our team is responsible."

"You actually founded the S.H.I.E.L.D Academy?" Skye asked in disbelief.

"The idea of it anyway. I figured it wasn't a good idea to just let anyone become agents with no training. There a lot of idiotic humans in the world," Lucifer said.

"How do you still look the way you do. At the very least, you'd be in your mid-nineties," Skye said. She had seen some crazy things, but a guy who didn't age was new for her.

"I assure you, darling, I'm much older than that. I'm the Devil," Lucifer said with a grin.

"Sure," Skye said sarcastically.

"Let's just say he's got a gift. Anyway, Lucifer, let me show you the rest of the base and then I'll show you where you'll be sleeping," Coulson said.

"Excellent, so long as that tour includes a bar," Lucifer said as he followed Coulson.


End file.
